A Much Needed Time Away

Girl with legs, and chairs, 5x7 inches, Rick Beerhorst

Girl legs and ladders, 5x7 inches, Rick Beerhorst

Girl, chairs and bird cages, 5x7 inches, Rick Beerhorst

I have just yesterday returned from a three day artist residency with Dellas Henke at his home and printmaking studio in the country of Allegan County just 30 miles outside of Grand Rapids MI. It was a wonderful time for me to not only reacquaint myself with intaglio printing but also a time for quiet introspection and self discovery.

Dellas's home is full of great books and original art. Situated on a rolling landscape that includes 4 acres of woods with a subtle path snaking its way through that you have to pay attention in order to stay on it, it makes a perfect artist retreat center. One of the favorite things I did each day was to take a walk into the woods and find a place to sit down. Once I was settled in I would begin sketching directly onto a copper plate what I saw directly in front of me. Later that day we were able to ink up these small plates and proof them on the press. I was making impressions in the copper with my etching tools and at the same time the rich environment I had dropped down into was making a rich impression on me as well. This was a much needed time for me to open up creatively.